Real Madrid came from behind but were unable to get over the line in a frustrating 1-1 draw with a well-drilled Girona. Kylian Mbappe's second half penalty cancelled out a well-worked opener from the La Liga strugglers, yet Madrid couldn't find a second – and stay one point off the top in La Liga in another twist to the title race.
Madrid probed for opportunities early on, but were left rather exposed on the break. Thibaut Courtois responded, though, producing a couple of good saves to keep the visitors level. Los Blancos thought they had taken the lead when Mbappe slotted home, but his goal was correctly chalked off when VAR determined there was a handball in the build-up. The visitors were then made to pay for a major defensive lapse. Girona were allowed to work the ball down the right, before Azzedine Ounahi swept one past Courtois from the top of the box after a well-timed feed from Viktor Tsigankov.
Los Blancos had their chances to start the second half. They had the ball in the net again on the hour mark, but saw it ruled out again after Vinicius Junior was in an offside position when he poked home. Madrid got their equalizer from the spot after 65 minutes. Vinicius scampered around his man and was brought down inside the box. Mbappe coolly tucked the penalty into the bottom corner to ease Xabi Alonso's nerves on the touchline. Madrid came close numerous times after. Vinicius missed a couple narrowly. Mbappe was denied from close range.
But there was never a second. Girona were resilient at the back, and Madrid lacked a crucial bit of quality needed to put the game away. This can be considered nothing other than a chance to go top wasted, with Barcelona holding the initiative at the La Liga summit.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Montivili…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Made a few silly saves. Could do nothing about the goal. Denied a second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):
A very Trent performance. Did some ridiculous things with the ball but failed to track his man on the goal.
Eder Militao (7/10):
A composed performance on his return to the side. Good on the ball and effective in the air.
Antonio Rudiger (6/10):
First appearance since late August, and he was a little mixed. Solid on the ball but a little slow to react – and handed Girona a good chance as a result.
Fran Garcia (6/10):
A surprise to see him start at left back. Scampered up and down the left but his final ball was lacking.
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Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):
Offered plenty of control at the base of midfield, but didn't get across to track the runner on Girona's opener.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Dropped a little deeper and did plenty of dirty work in the first half. Pushed up more in the second. Madrid's most consistent performer throughout.
Federico Valverde(6/10):
Full of legs and industry, clean on the ball, but rather stripped of his attacking nous in this role.
Arda Guler (5/10):
Used in a No.10 role in the opening exchanges, but saw his influence wane. Removed at the break. It's been a tough few games.
Getty
Attack
Kylian Mbappe (7/10):
Unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for an unlucky handball. Buried his penalty with ease. Not his most involved game, but got on the scoresheet, regardless.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Won the penalty thanks to a lovely bit of skill. Put a couple of others narrowly wide. Very good without being at his scintillating best.
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Subs & Manager
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
Introduced at the break and gave Madrid some much-needed energy and balance in midfield. Seriously impressive thus far this year.
Rodrygo (6/10):
A late introduction as Madrid chased a winner. Barely involved.
Alvaro Carreras (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (5/10):
Rotated a bit, making changes at left back and centre-back. His side were a bit lacklustre, though, and unconvincing at both ends.
On Thursday night, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, the Hoops fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren the scorers on a famous night in Rotterdam.
Before this, the Celts had failed to win any of their last 16 European fixtures on the road, dating back four years.
In fact, since reaching the UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neill in 2003, they have won only six times on the continent, excluding qualifiers, enjoying wins over Spartak Moskva, Anderlecht, Rosenborg, Lazio, Ferencváros and now Feyenoord across the last 22 seasons.
In terms of this season, the victory propels the Celts up to 21st in the gigantic Europa League table, a major boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with games against Roma, Bologna and then Utrecht still to come.
So, which Celtic star looked like an £100m player during this win at De Kuip?
Celtic's new manager latest
Since returning to the club on an interim basis, O’Neill could hardly have done much better.
He has won three Premiership matches out of three, ousted Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals and now claimed a memorable European victory in the Netherlands; the shellacking against Midtjylland in Herning the only blot on his copybook.
Nevertheless, for how much longer will he remain in interim charge?
Well, the 73 year old, alongside Shaun Maloney, will still be at the helm for Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road, but could that be the final game of their tenure?
That’s because, according to widespread reports, the club are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with some optimistic that the Frenchman could be in place in time for next Wednesday’s clash with Dundee.
Considering they take on current Premiership leaders Hearts and then the side top of Serie A Roma thereafter, the board will be desperate to get Nancy in as quickly as possible.
Assuming the Frenchman was watching Thursday’s win over Feyenoord, potentially while enjoying some Thanksgiving food in Ohio, one player in particular surely will have caught his eye.
Celtic's best player vs Feyenoord
Towards the end of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Reo Hatate found himself no longer a guaranteed starter, only on the bench for the Europa League home defeat to Braga, before not getting on at all during a dismal goalless draw with Hibs in September.
Nevertheless, having been made a key figure under O’Neill, he was the star of the show in Rotterdam.
Hatate spectacularly set up Yang’s equaliser before, soon after, coolly slotting home the second, rolling the ball into an unguarded net from long-range after some trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda forced Timon Wellenreuther into a catastrophic error.
Overall, the midfield maestro completed 89% of his passes, took two shots, created one big chance and registered nine ball recoveries, underlining that he was everywhere.
After a 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last year, Brendan Rodgers asserted that Hatate “gives it away too much for my liking”, labelling him “sloppy’, a sign of his decline in form and importance.
Now though, he is playing at a comparable level to Enzo Fernandez, according to FBref, who note that the players are statistically and stylistically similar among those in their position across Europe.
That is a sign of Hatate’s recent revival, not least with Fernandez having not too long ago been signed by Chelsea for a fee of around £107m from Benfica.
Such a comparison is no unwarranted either, with Hatate arguably putting in his best performance of the season against Feyenoord, while operating in a Fernandez-esque, more advanced midfield berth
Hatate – last 365 days
Stats
Hatate
Non-penalty Goals
0.13
Assists
0.26
Shot-creating actions
2.31
Pass completion
83%
Progressive passes
4.31
Progressive carries
1.16
Successful take-ons
0.77
Tackles
1.28
Interceptions
0.51
via FBref
Meantime, the Japanese star is proving just what a goal threat he is in Europe too, scoring against both Midtjylland and Feyenoord, also registering an assist at De Kuip this week.
Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate.
Given how impressive Hatate has been since first arriving at Parkhead almost four years ago, it is frankly a surprise that a Premier League club has not come in and poached him.
Celtic supporters will hope that remains the case, with the 28-year-old likely to be a central, undroppable figure when Nancy does finally arrive.
As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy
Celtic beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and one player showed his “world class’ potential, as good as Reo Hatate.
Athapaththu took three wickets and there was one run-out in the 50th over as Bangladesh lost five wickets in their last nine balls
Madushka Balasuriya20-Oct-2025
Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images
A tournament lacking in genuine tight finishes has now produced two in two days, as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka played out a low-scoring thriller in Navi Mumbai. But in truth this game should have never got to that stage, as Bangladesh nursed their chase of 203 only to stumble at the last and fall to a seven-run defeat. The result means, Bangladesh are eliminated from semi-final contention, while Sri Lanka live to fight another day.This was a chase that Sri Lanka were behind for around 48 overs, but in a tantalising final dash they picked up five wickets and gave away two runs off the final nine deliveries, as Bangladesh were unable to close out a game that they had controlled for large parts.Madara pulled up
Sri Lanka’s Malki Madara has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against Bangladesh on Monday. Madara was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match.” The incident in question took place in the 11th over of Bangladesh’s innings when Madara, after dismissing Fargana Hoque, celebrated “excessively in close proximity to the batter”. In addition, one demerit point has been added to Madara’s disciplinary record – it was her first offence in a 24-month period.
The final scorecard will read that Chamari Athapaththu picked up figures of 4 for 42, but three of those came in a game-stealing final over, where Bangladesh lost four wickets off the first four deliveries – a run-out in the middle ensuring it wasn’t an Athapaththu hat-trick.Up until then Nigar Sultana had anchored the chase, if not expertly then at least safely. Her 77 off 98 came mostly as part of two major partnerships – the first 82 off 120 with Sharmin Akhter and the second 50 off 58 with Shorna Akter – during which Sri Lanka were like passengers aboard a rudderless ship, just merely on for the ride.To stick with the analogy, this was not a ship moving particularly swiftly. With a pretty chaseable target of 203 on the board, Bangladesh were guilty of being overly cautious – perhaps bearing in mind their poor batting efforts earlier in the tournament – as they inched along.On a pitch, not offering much for the many spinners they picked, Sri Lanka were resigned to simply keeping things tight, unable to really impose themselves on the game with the ball until the dying moments when everything seemed to happen all at once.Hasini Perera scored her first ODI half-century•Getty ImagesEarlier however, it was Sri Lanka who had been slowed to a crawl, after a stunning mid-innings collapse had halted them. Hasini Perera struck a maiden international fifty in her 143rd match, a shining light (85 off 99) in and otherwise disjointed batting effort and was one of only three batters – Athapaththu (46) and Nilakshika Silva (37) the other two – to reach double-digits.Both Athapaththu and Hasini brought up milestones – 4000 and 1000 ODI runs, respectively – during their knock as well, while Hasini was eventually named Player of the Match.Shorna once more proved decisive – despite only being introduced at the halfway point of the innings – as she picked up figures of 3 for 27, including the crucial wickets of both Hasini and Nilakshika. The rest of the wickets were spread out, with only Ritu Moni going wicketless.Bangladesh were sloppy in the field, missing several chances, including run-outs and stumpings, but they were also spot on with their reviews. Despite this, Sri Lanka had at several points been on the up – in control, even. There was the 72-run stand between Athapaththu and Hasini after the fall of that first wicket, which had Sri Lanka romping along at nearly run-a-ball.Related
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Heartbreak and euphoria in Diwali night drama
Bangladesh, Pakistan, SL fall behind in the power game
Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot
On a wicket with few demons, Athapaththu’s 46 off 43 included six fours and two sixes. For the most part she looked unfazed by what Bangladesh threw at her so when she was trapped lbw by one that snuck past her forward defence, it was against the run of play.After this point Sri Lanka were both unfortunate and architects of their own demise. A fledgling partnership of 15 between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini was brought to an end after the former called for a non-existent second run and found herself a metre short.If that was self-inflicted, the next wicket was pure unadulterated bad luck. Kavisha Dilhari chopped an attempted cut into the ground, as the ball promptly bounced past the stumps, struck keeper Sultana, and bobbled on to the stumps. Bangladesh went about their business after this, the fielders even getting back into their positions, but the third umpire was alert and used the Smart Replay system in effect at this tournament to inform the on-field umpires of a possible stumping.And as it turned out, Dilhari’s back foot had momentarily lifted off the ground as she searched for balance. It was in that moment the bails had lit up – a fitting tribute to the Diwali celebrations around the stadium.As Bangladesh celebrated wildly, Sri Lanka had suddenly stumbled from 72 for 1 to 100 for 4, a worrying blip with them being a batter light after replacing allrounder Piumi Wathsala with seamer Udeshika Prabodani. Thankfully for the Lankans, in Hasini and Nilakshika they had the exact counterattacking pair the occasion called for.Shorna Akter ran through Sri Lanka’s middle order•ICC/Getty ImagesTogether they strung a 74-run stand off just 75 deliveries. It was a period in which batting seemed the easiest, with both players finding boundaries with regularity. If there was one criticism – and this would be one across Sri Lanka’s innings – it would be their lack of strike rotation.Despite the pair hitting nine boundaries (including three sixes) across their partnership lasting a shade over 12 overs, they were unable to usher in a run rate above six an over. This was a problem that would plague Bangladesh’s innings as well, later on.Perhaps it was their awareness of the lack of batting to follow that kept them in check, but it was unusual to see so many tossed up deliveries of spin dead-batted away. As it transpired, Nilakshika’s innings came to an end prematurely, as she shanked an on-side heave off Shorna to short third.This wicket proved to be a catalyst for Sri Lanka’s most devastating collapse, losing their next three wickets for just eight runs – Shorna getting two of them.From then on, Sri Lanka’s innings slowed to a trickle as they sought to bat time, before eventually being bowled out with eight deliveries remaining. Their final 103 balls saw 28 runs scored and six wickets fall, a feat somehow surpassed by Bangladesh.
It was his 50th home Test, but the first one Ravindra Jadeja was playing without his long-time spin partner R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last December. It was an unusual experience, but it made no difference as far as the impact Jadeja was able to make on the match. He scored an unbeaten 104, his sixth Test hundred, and took four second-innings wickets as India wrapped up victory over West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside eight sessions in Ahmedabad.Among the factors behind India winning so commandingly was the strength of their spin attack even without Ashwin, with Jadeja bowling alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar, and with Axar Patel on the bench.”Obviously we do miss him,” Jadeja said after the Test, when asked how Ashwin’s absence felt. “Ash has contributed so much to Indian cricket, been a match-winner for so many years.”I was playing a [Test] match in India without Ash for the first time, so sometimes I did find myself thinking, yeah, Ash will come on and bowl, and then realising he isn’t there. But Kuldeep and Washy have already played so many matches, and we can’t call them youngsters, but it was a different combination.”In the future you will ask, Jaddu isn’t here, and someone else will be there. This is inevitable, and it will keep happening, but it feels good to contribute to the team.”Related
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Jadeja, Siraj wrap up India's innings win inside three days
Gill: 'No complaints, was a near-perfect game for us'
Jadeja’s performance in Ahmedabad left him tantalisingly close to the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket. He needs only 10 runs to become the fourth member of that particular club, and membership to an even more exclusive club — 5000 runs and 400 wickets, which presently only includes Kapil Dev — could also be within reach.”You’re putting pressure on me now,” Jadeja joked when asked about this. “I’ll have to start thinking about how to score 1000 more runs and take 60-70 more wickets.”At this stage I’m enjoying my cricket. I’m not thinking about records or milestones. I’m just working on my fitness and enjoying my cricket. Whenever I’m at home I always work on my fitness so that I just continue doing what I’ve been doing [for] so many years, so that’s about it.”At 36, Ravindra Jadeja is still sprightly on the field•Associated Press
The century in Ahmedabad extended a sensational 2025 with the bat for Jadeja. So far this year, he has scored 659 runs in seven Tests at an average of 82.37, with two hundreds and five fifties, with 516 of those runs coming in a series of remarkable consistency in England, which included a stretch of eight innings with six 50-plus scores.”I’ve worked on my batting — I’ve made some changes both mentally and skill-wise,” Jadeja said. “I used to have a different mindset before, in my batting, but I’ve made a few changes now.”Part of this, he said, came from regularly batting up the order. Since the start of 2023, he has batted 22 times at Nos. 5 and 6 in 40 innings.”If you get the chance to bat up the order, you definitely bat with a different mindset,” he said. “I’ve batted at No. 8 and 9 in Test matches before, and that comes with a different mindset, and if you bat with that mindset you can end up playing a loose shot and getting out.”I’ve also batted at No. 5 and 6, and that comes with a different mindset. You are aware of the responsibility you have to build partnerships with whichever batsman you are batting with. That has definitely made a difference.At 36, Jadeja is showing no perceptible signs of slowing down; he prowls the outfield as athletically as ever, and he has been largely injury-free since getting through a frustrating period in 2021-23 when injuries repeatedly kept him away from action.”Injuries can happen anytime,” he said. “There is no guarantee, and no precautions you can take [against them]. If you’re giving your 100% on the ground, you could have to dive anytime or put in an effort for a catch or a run-out.”Luckily, by god’s grace, I haven’t been injured that much and I work a lot on my fitness. I don’t put up a lot of videos of what all I do on social media, but I do it. And it has been making a difference on the ground, and it feels good that I’m able to give my 100% at this age, and it doesn’t feel like my fitness level is going down, so it puts me in a good frame of mind.”On being asked to expand on his fitness routines and whether that included monitoring his sleep cycles, Jadeja burst into laughter. “I keep it simple,” he said. “Not 8-9 hours, sometimes I sleep for longer too, and if I’m [enjoying my evening] I might sleep less too. But on a serious note, when matches are approaching, I know when to start my training, when to change my food intake. I have a very good idea of my body and what it needs and in what state it is in at any time.”
The Phillies saw their 2025 season come to a dramatic end in Thursday night's Game 4 loss to the Dodgers, a bitter defeat that arguably stings that much more due to how the game ended.
With bases loaded and two outs, Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering had the chance to end the 11th inning after Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages hit a weak ground ball right to him. Kerkering had an easy toss to first base to get the third out, but he instead chucked it to home plate way above catcher J.T. Realmuto's head. That wild throw drove in Dodgers pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim for the winning run, allowing L.A. to clinch the 2-1 win and punch its ticket to the NLCS.
Kerkering bafflingly threw to home despite Realmuto very clearly pointing to first base right after Pages's grounder. Maybe the Phillies catcher could have given him a more audible heads-up instead of physically gesturing, but the error ultimately fell on Kerkering for automatically throwing it to Realmuto for some bizarre reason.
A photo of Realmuto pointing to first just before Kerkering makes his unfortunate error is going viral on social media, and it's a pretty sad one:
The Phillies got eliminated by the Dodgers in equally heartbreaking and embarrassing fashion on Thursday night.
In the 11th inning of Game 4 of the NLDS, the score was tied 1-1 and Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering was on the mound with two outs. With the bases loaded, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages hit a weak ground ball right to Kerkering, who only needed to throw to first base to get the third out and end the inning. But after Kerkering picked up the ball, he lifted his head and immediately threw it to catcher J.T. Realmuto at home plate. The ball sailed over Realmuto, the Dodgers scored a run, and just like that, Philly's 2025 season was over.
Following Kerkering's brutal error, he walked off the field surrounded by his teammates. He was met by manager Rob Thomson at the entrance of the dugout, and the two shared a brief embrace and an emotional moment. Thomson appeared to impart some words of consolation to the reliever before patting Kerkering on the chest and sending him on his way:
Kerkering also received support from his teammates in the dugout as he sat on the bench and looked visibly shaken by what just transpired.
What a truly terrible way for the Phillies to go out, though Kerkering still has plenty reason to keep his head up and move on from this lowlight, as his manager no doubt hopes he will do.
"He just got caught up in the moment a little bit. Coming down the stretch, he pitched so well for us," Thomson said of Kerkering postgame. "I feel for him because he's putting it all on his shoulders. But we win as a team and we lose as a team."
علق جراهام أرنولد المدير الفني لـ منتخب العراق، على المباراة المنتظرة أمام الأردن ضمن لقاءات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 في قطر.
وقال جراهام أرنولد في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي اليوم: “تركيزي على المنتخب العراقي وهدفي هو أن يتأهل المنتخب إلى كأس العالم لأول مرة منذ 40 عامًا”.
وتابع: “أتوقع مباراة قوية أمام منتخب الأردن الذي تأهل إلى كأس العالم، نحن قدمنا 3 مباريات جيدة وسنبذل أفضل ما لدينا في هذه المباراة”.
وأردف: “لدينا بعض الغيابات بسبب الإصابة، إضافة إلى غياب حسين علي للإيقاف، واللاعبون جاهزون نفسيًا بشكل كبير، وأمام الجزائر لعبنا تقريبًا مباراة كاملة ونحن منقوصي العدد”.
طالع | جمال السلامي: الأردن يحتاج 3 أشياء أمام العراق في كأس العرب
وأضاف: “حققت المطلوب خلال المباريات الثلاث، وكما رأيتم اخترت لاعبين من الدوري المحلي وقد فاجأني أداؤهم، وانبهرت كثيرًا ببطولة كأس العرب، أتيت من منطقة مختلفة وأعتقد أنها تشبه كأس العالم”.
واستطرد: “كانت البطولة فرصة جيدة لاختبار أنفسنا، ولا مانع من الارتقاء إلى مستوى أعلى، وطلبت من الجمهور دعم المنتخب، وقد رأيت ذلك بوضوح في مباراة الإمارات، عندما عدنا بعد التأخر بهدف بفضل مساندة الجماهير”.
وأتم: “تابعت المنتخب الأردني خلال السنوات العشر الماضية، وشاهدت مدى تطورهم وتأهلهم إلى كأس العالم”.
O Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) divulgou, na madrugada desta terça-feira (22), o áudio das análises do VAR na partida entre Vasco e Fortaleza, pela partida de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.
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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!
Durante o confronto, disputado em São januário, Wilton Pereira Sampaio foi chamado duas vezes para rever possíveis lances de pênanlti.
PÊNALTI PARA O VASCO
O atacante Marinho, no primeiro tempo do duelo, tentou afastar um cruzamento dentro da área, mas acabou desviando a bola com o braço esquerdo. Após a consulta, Wilton Perereira Sampaio assinalou pênalti para a equipe mandante, convertido por Vegetti.
– É na mão. Deixa só eu terminar de checar com calma. (…) A bola vem de lá, e ele domina com a mão. Wilton, recomendo revisão para possível penal – afirma o árbitro de vídeo.
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TOQUE DE MAICON NA ÁREA
Na segunda etapa, Wilton assinalou pênalti após um suposto toque no braço do zagueiro Maicon dentro da área. Depois de revisar o lance no monitor, o árbitro reverteu a marcação e assinalou escanteio para o Leão do Pici.
Após empate em três a três no tempo normal, o Vasco eliminou o Fortaleza nos pênaltis e garantiu a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.
Back-to-back wins for Tottenham Hotspur. What is this? Yes, we know, shock horror, right?
Thomas Frank’s time in charge of the Lilywhites has not been smooth sailing so far and prior to Spurs’ win over Brentford last weekend, they had not won a game of football since the end of October.
November was a horror month for Frank, one that already raised questions about his future. However, the north Londoners are now on the right track again and they have Xavi Simons to thank for two inspirational displays in the last two games.
Xavi Simons' Spurs turnaround
While Simons’ goal against Slavia Prague in their 3-0 win on Tuesday came from the penalty spot, this has been a much-improved few days for the Dutchman who appears to be coming good in Spurs colours at long last.
Simons also found the net in the win over Brentford on Saturday and appears to be a lot happier with how things are going now.
Speaking after the game, the Netherlands international said: “It is really nice to score the goals, but feeling great on the pitch, that is the most important for me and I’m enjoying it. So, really happy to be in this moment.”
Also making an appearance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday was club legend, Son Heung-min.
The South Korean left Spurs behind in the summer for a new adventure with LAFC in MLS and he was back in England this week to finally wave goodbye to fans after a decade of service.
Simons commented: “I didn’t meet Son (before) personally and now a little bit. He is a big legend for the club and it’s a real pleasure for me to take this number and build my own legacy, so really happy to meet him.”
Son waves farewell to Spurs
Son scored 173 goals in 454 appearances for Spurs, with his final competitive appearance in the historic Europa League triumph over Manchester United back in May.
The South Korean paraded the trophy around the stadium days after that victory in Bilbao, but left in pre-season to sign for LAFC. Thus, he did not have the chance to say goodbye until this week.
An emotional evening started with Son’s mural being unveiled on the High Road before he spoke to the crowd and promised, “I will always be Spurs.”
Speaking to Korean media after, he stated: “First of all, I’m happy to be back in a place where I spent my youth and is like a home. I’m so grateful that so many fans welcomed me and cheered for me. It was a little hard (on Monday) because the flight time was longer than I thought, but I had a really happy day. Thank you so much.”
Mathys Tel, who was only drafted into Spurs’ Champions League squad this week as a replacement for the injured Dominic Solanke, was delighted to see Son.
Tel added: “Sonny is like my big brother. He is always texting me, his support is always behind me, so back in the Champions League, we won and Sonny was there… a lot of good things. Sonny is a big legend at Tottenham, so when a guy like Sonny comes after he did everything, you give everything for him.”
Spurs star showed why he could become a "future £100m" player vs Slavia
Tottenham Hotspur have yet another gem on their hands after the victory over Slavia Prague.
Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series following a recurrence of the left-knee injury he sustained during the first Test in Perth. Matthew Fisher has been named his replacement.Fisher, whose only Test so far came against West Indies in 2022, is a six-foot-two seamer with a high release point. He is already in Australia as part of the England Lions side and will link up with the senior team this week. The third Test in Adelaide starts on December 17.Wood, who turns 36 in January, was hoping to be available for the last two Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney, but at the same time, he admitted that age was catching up with him. “Wood will return home later this week and will work closely with the ECB medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery,” an ECB statement said.Related
Bazball is dead (even if England aren't quite yet)
Hazlewood out of Ashes, Cummins confirmed for Adelaide
“Gutted to be out the remainder of the Ashes,” Wood wrote in an Instagram post. “After extensive surgery and seven long, hard months of work and rehab to get back into the Test arena, my knee just hasn’t held up. None of us expected this. I came here with high expectations about making a big impact. I’m desperately disappointed that despite yet more injections and intensive medical treatment, it has become clear that the flare-up in my knee is worse than feared.”I’m really sorry that it has left me unable to perform as expected but it is not for want of trying. Whatever happens, I will continue to push the limits to get back again. It has been a tough road these past few months but I remain determined to give it another proper go. I still believe we can turn things around. Never give in. Come on, England.”Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February. The series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match and was sent to a specialist after reporting pain in his knee. He missed the second Test in Brisbane, which Australia won by eight wickets to take a 2-0 lead.Earlier in the day, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was also ruled out of the series. But the hosts will be bolstered by the return of their captain Pat Cummins. Usman Khawaja, who missed the second Test with a back issue, is also expected to be fit and available for the third Test.